Wiring device



R. R, KEESEE WIRING DEVICE Jan. 25, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed DeC. 25, 1955 Fay. 4

ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 193s. R. R. KEESEE A f 2,106,324

WIRING DEVICE Filed Deo. 25, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 /f/ 24 f 22 I i y 22 y Z! i /f/y 37 45 i. 2 22 :s45

una@ E Nily i .3 7 l s i 22 i 4625 52.45

il? il ATTORNEY Patented `ian. 25, i938 errno stars rATsNr oFFIcE WIRING DEVICE l nonna R. Keesee, Prattsviue, Ark. l Application December 23, 1935, Serial No. 55,8123 1 claim.' (o1. .17e-329) T is invention relates generally to devices employed in house wiring, and particularly to a new type of wiring device for replacing the commonly used ceiling rosette.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device for facilitating the wiring of bruidings for electric service with multi-conductor cables, through the use of which splicing and tapping of the cable in attics and roof spaces l@ may ee avoided, such connections as are necessary being made within the wiring device.

Another object is the provision in a ceiling rosette of insulating means for the conductors passing through the ceiling, so that it may be used on ceilings oi conducting material; rosettes heretofore used lacking this advantage and being unsuitable for such application.

With these and such other objects in view as may appear from the description, my invention resides in the particular iorm of construction, and combination of the component parts of the device.

in the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan View of the device, as seen from the lower, or flanged z 2 is a plan view of the removable cover for the device, as seen from above.

Fig. 3 is a section of the device, taken along the line lll- III of Fig. l.

I 4 is a section of the device, taken along Fig. 5 illustrates the device in the service position.

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a building in the Wiring of which the device has been employed.

' P ierring nrst particularly to Figs. l and 3,

the hollow tube l), of some suitable insulating rrete al, as porcelain, is provided adjacent its end with the integral concentric outwardly extending and downwardly depending recessed -fl flange Within the recess of the latter, and laterally spaced from the opening through the tube iQ, are mounted a plurality of conductor terminals. In the embodiment illustrated, three such terminals shown, which include the first 'j terminal member ld, the second terminal member S5, and the third terminal member I8, these members being rigidly secured within the recess by means of the mounting screws ll, l5, and 20, respe-:tively 50 To provide ample leakage distance in a small diameter recess, the integral barrier 2l is intel"v posed between the second terminal member i5 and the third terminal member i8.

For clamping a plurality of conductors to the 55 rst terminal member I4, the clamping member 25 is arranged to be drawn theretoward by means `of the clamping screw 26, and similarly, the

clamping member i9 is arranged to be drawn tovvard the third terminal lmember i8 by means of the clamping screw 20. For reasons. shortly to `5 appear, no clamping member is usually required for cooperating with the second terminal member i5, the terminal screw 2l amply serving this purpose.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown with one conl0 ductor of each of the two-conductor supply cables Z2 connected through the first terminal member ifi, and the other conductor of each of these cables connected through the third terminal members I8 and I9. One conductor of the two- 15 conductor switch cable 24 is connected to the third terminal members i8 and I9, and the other to the second terminal member l5. It will be obvious that the rst and second terminal members will be energized at the supply voltage when the conductors of the switch cable 24 are elec-1 trically connected, as through a switch.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a closure for the hollow, or recess, containing the conductor terminals,

this closure consisting of a disk 2g, of some suit- 2- able insulating material, as porcelain. The diameter of the disk 29 is preferably substantially the same as that of the flanged portion Il. A concentrically positioned recess is provided at the upper side of the disk 29, in which are secured the diametrically spaced U-shaped load contacts 3@ and 3l, by means of the respective load contact mounting screws 36 and 35 (Fig. 4). Each of these contacts is provided with a laterally eX- tending base portion, to which are electrically connected the load conductors 32 and 33, by means of the load terminal screws 42 and 43 respectively. A centrally positioned opening Il@ provides an exit from the recess for the load conductors 32 and 33.

The closure, or cover, just described is substant'ially the same as a well known rosette cover, and does not, in itself, constitute the present invention.

For retaining the cover in position, the diametrically spaced resilient load contact clips i3 and 28 are secured between a Wall of the recess of the flanged portion Il and the rst and sec ond terminal members I4 and l5 respectively, the arrangement being such that the load com 50 tacts 3B and 3l engage the upper surface of the load contact clips I3 and 28 in response to a rotary movement of the cover 29. The position of the elements under the conditions just described is illustrated in Fig. 4.

The device, designated in its entirety by the numeral 31, is shown secured to an electrically conducting ceiling 4l of a building in Fig. 5. 'Ihe bolts 40, which extend upwardly through the openings l2 (Fig. l), rigidly secure the device to the ceiling; the load cable 38, which includes the load conductors 32 and 33, extends downwardly to the lamp socket 39. In this illustration, the cables 22 may be either ingoing or outgoing supply cables, and the cable 24 the switch cable for controlling the supplyV of energy to the lamp socket 39.

It may be noted that all of the conductors enter the recess of the anged end ll through -the tubular upper portion I0, the latter extending above the upper surface of the ceiling 4|, so, that a wall of insulating material is Jinterposed between both the conductors and the conducting terminals, and the conducting ceiling.

The manner in which a building may be wired without the necessity of splicing or tapping the cabled conductors at any point above the ceiling, all oi the necessary. connectionsbeing made within the wiring devices 3.1, is illustrated by Fig. 6. The two-conductor. cables 22 are normally energized,- at the supply potential, while the two-conductorcontrol, cables 24 connect the switches 45 to the load circuit of the device 3.1. A convenience outlet or wall receptacle is designated by the numeral 46. The labor saving through the avoidance of splicing and tapping of the conductors in roof spaces or attcs will be apparent from this illustration.

While I have here illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, other embodimentswill appear from the one disclosed herein, and it is to be understood that my invention is to be limited only by the appended claim and the prior art.

What I claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

The combination with a ceiling rosette of an integral upstanding tubular portion having a relatively large bore for the accommodation of a plurality of two conductor cables, said rosette containing a pair of insulated load terminals and an additional terminal insulated from said load terminals, said terminals including means for connecting one conductor of a two conductor supplycable to one load terminal and the other conductor to the additional terminal, means for connecting one conductor of a second two conductor supply cable to said one load terminal and the other conductor to the additional terminal, means for connecting one conductor of a two conductor load control cable to the other oi said load terminals and the other conductor of said control cable to said additional terminal, and detachable means for connecting a load circuit to said pair of load terminals, said detachable means providing a closure for said rosette.

ROLAND R. KEESEE. 

